Apparatus for operating fans



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. L. RICHARDS.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING- FANS.

No. 246,909. Patented Sept. 18,1881.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. L. RICHARDS. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FANS.

Patented Sept. 13,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID L. RICHARDS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING FANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,909, datedSeptember 13, 1881.

Application filed July 18, 1881.

To all whomt't may concern:

Be it known that L DAVID L. RICHARDS, at present residing in Boston, ofthe county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a newand useful Machine or Apparatus for Operating a Fan; and I do herebydeclare the same to be described in the following specification andrepresented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a topview; Figs. 2 and 3, opposite side elevations; Fig. 4, an end view ofthe said machine; Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal and central sections ofit, showing the mechanism on opposite sides of the plane of section.

The nature of my invention is defined by the claims hereinafterpresented.

The machine embodying my improvementis intended to be arranged over abed or couch or other article, and to give motion to a fan for thepurpose of cooling a person when asleep or reclining on the bed orcouch, or to prevent flies or insects from annoying or disturbing him.The arm carrying the fan or its supporter can be moved by the mechanismin a manner either to carry the fan immediately over the individual orfrom him, so as to be out of his way in either rising from or enteringthe bed or couch.

In the drawings, A represents the said arm, which by a rule-joint, a, isconnected with a rock-shaft, B, duly supported in a frame, 0, composedof two disks or plates, 1) c, and sundry connecting-bars, d, extendingfrom one to the other of them, (the said plates.) A spring, I), fastenedat its ends to the rock-shaft B and the arm A, serves to force the armfrom its position in line with the rock-shaft into one at or about at aright angle thereto on a springlatch, E, arranged as shown, being movedout of a notch, c, in and extending across the rulejoint, suchspring-latch being fastened to the rock-shaft. At the outer end or partof the arm A is a tubular carrier, F, suitably made for receiving andsupporting the handle of a fan, or asupporter of proper form orconstruction for sustaining the fan, the said carrier F being jointed tothe arm to-admit of the fan being more or less inclined from thevertical,

as occasion may require.

(No model.)

There is combined with the rock-shaft a mechanism for imparting to it areciprocating rotary motion, in order for the fan to he put invibration. Such mechanism may be thus described. A crank, f, fixed tothe shaft, has jointed to it a connecting-rod, g, leading to anothercrank, h, fixed on the shaft 6.

A winding-arbor, 7c, carrying a coiled spring, I, and provided 'with atrain of gears, m a 0 q r s t, suitably supported, is applied to theframe O. the last gear of the train being fixed on the shaft 5. Thisarbor and its gearingare like those of a common clock, the spring beingat or near its inner end fixed to the arbor and at or near its outer endto a cross-bar, u, of the frame 0.

The arbor, like that of a clock, should have appliances to admit of thespring being wound up by a key applied to it-that is to say, a gear, m,turns loosely on the winding-arbor and carries a pawl, n, to work in aratchetwheel, 0, fixed on the said arbor. On the train being put inoperation by the recoil of the spring a rotary motion will be impartedto the shaft t, whereby, by means of the two cranks, h andf, therocleshaft B will receive a reciprocating rotary motion.

The next part of the mechanism to be described is that for determiningthe period in in which the machine is to be kept in operation or when itis to cease to act, whether such be an hour or two, more or less.

There is fixed on the rock-shaft a notched sector, G, and there ispivoted to one of the plates of the frame 0 a weighted arm, H, carryin gtwo friction-rollers, v w, arranged as shown. That one of such rollerswhich is the nearer of the two to the partm of the arm rests on theperiphery of a notched disk or cam, I, formed as represented, and fixedon a cross shaft, y. A train of gears, a b c d, is applied to the shafty and the winding-arbor, the gear a being fixed on such arbor, while thegear (1 revolves on the shaft y. A friction-disk,z, fixed on the shaftgbears against the side of the gear (1.

There is fastened on the shaft 3 a hand, 6, and there is made in and tothe frame 0 a dial, f, (marked as shown,) somewhat like that of a clock,the divisions indicating certain periods of time for the apparatus to bekept in action. On turning the shaft so as to carry the hand in thedirection denoted by the arrows 9 around to the division marked I theapparatus will be set for being maintained in action agiven period oftime-as an hour, for instance. ()n moving the hand to the next division,II, the machine will run double the time. In so moving the hand, the armH will be forced upward by the cam I so as to carry the friction-roller12 out of the notch of the sector G, in order to allow the rock shaft tobe put in motion. IVhile the rock-shaft continues its reciprocations thenotched cam will he slowly revolved until the notch of the cam may reachthe roller 20, which taking place the arm will drop and carry the roller1; into the notch of the sector and the rock-shaft will cease to move.

The next part of the apparatus to be explained is that for unlatchingthe arm A in order to admit the spring D to act and force the arm into aposition at a right angle, or about so, to the rock-shaft B, asindicated at A by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

There is pivoted to the frame 0 a bent lever, K, whose shorter armextends up in rear of the spring-latch E. From the longer arm of thesaid lever a stud, 1 extends through a slot, h, in the case and into thepath of movement of one of the weights t" k of the weighted arm H.During the fall of the weighted arm the weight It will be carriedagainst the stud and will move the lever, so as to cause it to force thelatch out of the notch of the rulejoint, which taking place the spring Dwill be free to act and force the arm A into the position indicated atA. A spring, I, fixed to the lrame O and bearing against the longer armof the lever K, serves to move the lever in a manner to admit of thelatch taking into the notch of the rule-joint, when the arm A may benext turned around into line with the rock-shaft.

The spring also keeps the leverout of the way of the latch while thelatter may be in movement with the rock-shaft.

If desirable, the apparatus described may be inclosed in a suitablecase, and the dial, instead of beingformed on or applied to theframe C,may be made or fixed on the said case.

What I claim as my invention in the hereinbefore-described machine orapparatus is as follows, viz:

1. The combination, with the mechanism for imparting to the rock-shaft Bits reciprocating rotary motion, of mechanism for determining the periodof such motion, and consisting of the train ofgears a b c d, thefriction-disk z, shaft 3 notched cam I, hand 6, dial f, weighted arm H,provided with the friction-rollers v w, and the notched-sector G, suchsector being fixed on the rock-shaft, and the gear a of the train beingfixed on the winding-arbor, and all being arranged and to operatesubstantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the rock-shaft and mechanism for reciprocatingit, as set forth, and the mechanism for determining the period ofvibrations of the rock-shaft, the mechanism for holding the arm in linewith the rock-shaft, and also for moving the arm into, or about at, aright angle therewith, such consisting of the spring-latch E, itstripping-lever K, and the spring D, the rulejoint of the rock-shaft andarm being notched to receive the latch, and all being adapted and tooperate substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the arm A, and the tubular fan-carrier F, jointedto the said arm, as explained, such arm A being provided with mechanism,substantially as described, for im- 'iarting to it reciprocating-rotarymotions.

DAVID L. RICHARDS.

Witnesses R. H. EDDY, E. B. PRATT.

